Research in EAPS

The EAPS Department is distinguished by a strong emphasis on quantitative training combined with a rigorous commitment to field work and laboratory studies. To achieve the essential synergy between theory and observation necessary to understand natural processes, we build on our lab research by taking full advantage of our East Coast location and by conducting field work around the globe—exploring not just Earth's solid terrain and interior, but its atmosphere and oceans as well.

Spanning the range of space and time, EAPS research focuses on small-scale systems, such as severe storms, ecosystems, and active faults, as well as grand-scale planetary systems, and all of the Earth’s systems in between. We have access to state-of-the-art analytical facilities within EAPS and at MIT and affiliated institutions, ensuring that our research opportunities are as boundless as our subject matter.

As EAPS researchers unravel the history of the natural systems on Earth and beyond, they are also looking to the future. Our researchers often find themselves at the forefront of vital debates on topics ranging from energy policy to space exploration, and our research affects legislation, economics, and social welfare around the world.